The debate over U.S. immigration policy has been rebooted. There now appears to be bipartisan support for what's generally called comprehensive reform. But a stumbling block remains: What to do about the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants among us. Deportation? Complete amnesty? A "path" to citizenship?

There is a way forward, and it can be best summarized by "none of the above." It lies, instead, between these choices. It's legalization without citizenship .

With as few conditions and as broadly as possible, we should offer undocumented immigrants status as "permanent noncitizen residents." Unlike current green card holders, these individuals would never have the option of naturalizing and becoming U.S. citizens. The only exception would be for minors who arrived here with their parents. Provided they have not committed any serious crimes, such individuals should be immediately eligible for citizenship.

Simplicity is one distinct virtue of this approach. The prospect of mass deportations (or the hope of mass self-deportations) is both unpalatable and impractical. And establishing and implementing a complicated pathway to citizenship  or even to a lesser legal status  requires more faith than most Americans have in our government's ability to administer programs effectively and fairly.

For example, one proposal has called for the undocumented to return to their native countries for some period of time and then apply for a visa and "get in line" to return to the U.S. legally. But how would the return trip be monitored? And after that, how effectively would the visa quotas and readmission processes be administered? What would happen when an aging grandmother is returned to a "home" she left 30 years ago, or when illegal parents and their U.S.-born teenagers find themselves on different sides of the divide?

And of course noncitizens do not vote in federal and state elections, though they may in a few local jurisdictions..Of course noncitizens vote in federal and state elections, who is this guy trying to fool ?Besides not being eligible for certain government jobs and social programs,right, in Calif illegals do get welfare,food stamps, etc,etc, those churches and supporters send them to certain social workers who stamp approved. Check out--->By Shelby Travis and via The Associated Press

A Republican state senator from Seminole says he'll reintroduce a proposal to allow illegal immigrants to work in Oklahoma http://www.krmg.com/news/news/local/oklahoma-senator-proposes-bill-allow-illegal-immig/nTXDh/

Let me see so far ,Obama dreamact free college educations, check,work permits check, social security cards check, drivers licenses in almost all the states except what 3 or 4 states, Check. Shield and protected from our laws... Check.. Except for Hotel Joe, sanctuary cities,check.

This will never fly. The Democrats and the professional ethnic grievance groups would demagogue this too, and accuse proponents of wanting to make ‘undocumented’ immigrants into a second class group.

Still, it would be preferable to a path to citizenship of course, but only if these permanent, legal, non-citizen residents were not allowed to sponsor any legal immigrants through extended family chain migration. Couple that with restricting family immigration to spouses and dependent minor children, and at least such a move wouldn’t expand the pipeline of future legal immigration.

That noncitizens vote illegally is simply a fact that will persist in all jurisdictions without adequate citizen checks for voter registration and voter ID requirements to back it up.

It’s interesting that the LATimes is giving support to what is basically Newt Gingrich’s idea on the subject (the catchy “Red Card” being the name he gave to permanent no-path-to-citizenship residency).

I think a combination of the following (*not* in order of importance, all of them are needed together) — a “Red Card” program, significantly heightened border enforcement, a guest-worker program, tighter sanctions against knowingly hiring persons in the country illegally, larger immigration quotas for Latin America, harsher penalties for identity-theft, blanket prohibitions on paying social benefits to persons in the country illegally, and a “DREAM act” style amnesty for folks brought here illegally by their parents (into “Red Card” status) — would actually be a comprehensive immigration reform worth adopting.

I think I’d even support “Red Card” residents being able to gain citizenship by serving honorably in the U.S. military.

8
posted on 12/15/2012 5:41:53 PM PST
by The_Reader_David
(And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know...)

Deportation? Complete amnesty? A "path" to citizenship? ...instead, between these choices. It's legalization without citizenship. With as few conditions and as broadly as possible, we should offer undocumented immigrants status as "permanent noncitizen residents." Unlike current green card holders, these individuals would never have the option of naturalizing and becoming U.S. citizens. The only exception would be for minors who arrived here with their parents. Provided they have not committed any serious crimes, such individuals should be immediately eligible for citizenship.

Whats fun is to get around a group of illegals and
yell “Chupacabra”. For a second you can here a pin drop.
Used too you could yell la migra and they would scatter
but now they know they are safe. Hay you know why
Santa Anna only brought 5000 soldiers to the Alamo?
He only had one station wagon and a pickup.

14
posted on 12/15/2012 6:02:54 PM PST
by Slambat
(The right to keep and bear arms. Anything one man can carry, drive or pull.)

Once upon a time, around fall of 2007, I was at 7000 ft in the mountains of New Mexico. The sun was almost up, and I had a crew up in the mountain cutting trees for firewood. We had stopped for coffee and to sharpen saw blades when a love sick elk bugled off in the distance.

I looked around, and saw confused faces... I simply nodded and said "Chupacabra" and started up the chain saw.

We were scheduled to come off the mountain at 1400. We were done by 1100. One of my better days. ;)

Right? I just love it when debate begins on immigration reform, the media starts downplaying the numbers of illegals in this country.

Reports coming out a few years ago put the number from 18 to 20 million. It is common knowledge these numbers increase dramatically when talk of amnesty begins.

Besides, the immigration reform package Bush, Graham, McCain, Kennedy and I believe Schumer attempted to shove down our throats several years back would have allowed illegals the ability to bring up to four of their family members after a period.

Also buried deep in the bill, illegals would have been able to claim the earned income tax credit if under a certain income level, giving them the ability to reap up to four thousand bucks from Uncle Sugar w/o paying a dime into the tax system.

With millions of Americans out of work and government benefits about to bounce when China stops lending us the 40% of the budget we borrow, those illegals “here to work” are suddenly faced with angry Americans who need that work to survive.

We could suggest a hundred different ways to handle the 30M illegals none of them will matter because there is absolutely no monitoring or enforcing done by any federal agency or Congressional group unless it is to collect a fine and increases the amount of money they have to spend. As a whole, Congress is totally clueless.

Washington considers illegals to be an asset, not a problem. Now the fact that some of us were calling our Congressmen lunatics they saw as a problem so they did take care of that issue!

25
posted on 12/15/2012 8:14:58 PM PST
by Grams A
(The Sun will rise in the East in the morning and God is still on his throne.)

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